Greg Tang's Winter Olympics Math Challenge K-5 & Above

Encourage your students to practice math during the Winter Olympics.

Greg Tang's Winter Olympics Math Challenge at olympicschallenge.gregtangmath.com.  

It's free. It's fun. It's a great way to catch the Olympic spirit!

Technology Spotlight - Wendell Tate and Cheryl Cheatham, Dent Middle School

Dent Middle School Latin teachers, Mr. Wendell Tate and Mrs. Cheryl Cheatham, have adopted Operation Lapis for their 7th grade Latin classes. Lapis is a role-playing game that requires students to complete missions and uncover clues. Set in Pompeii in 79AD, students must learn to read and translate Latin words and phrases in order to successfully complete their missions.

"Operation LAPIS is a two-year game-based (practomimetic) introductory course in the Latin language and in Roman culture. It may be employed on its own, or as a supplement to other materials; programs and teachers may experiment with it as a supplement and then easily transition to using Operation LAPIS in place of a traditional textbook." - Operation Lapis

Mr. Tate says "... I have seen wonderful student engagement with the LAPIS environment. Students are using the language in a much more natural way than in previous years. In past years they were using the new grammar and vocabulary to read stories and write in the target language. We still have new grammar and vocabulary for each mission. But the way in which they use it is very different way. Now they are having to use the language to bribe guards, trick evil doers, and work their characters out of tricky situations. It is truly exciting to watch the energy and teamwork in my classes."

Mrs. Cheatham shares her experience with Operation Lapis, "I tried Lapis with one sixth grade class a couple of years ago, when it was brand new. I wasn't sure what to think, and I didn't have any experience with NOT using a book. This year, I went all in on Lapis. It has been really freeing, not having to make sure that I cover every single thing in a textbook. I still use the textbook, Cambridge Latin Course, as an extra resource, but it is not the primary center of my class. The majority of the students have really responded well to Lapis. It really gives them a chance to use the language, instead of just memorizing endings and definitions. They are getting to learn the language in a more natural way."

What are the students saying about Lapis?"Learning Latin is much easier. It is also sort of an incentive, because the more Latin you use in your post, the higher your character "levels up" by learning more Latin words and getting more things for your character." - Tyler M.

"Since you get to apply your knowledge into missions, you get to fully understand the Latin. Operation Lapis is a creative way of incorporating Latin material into missions, which helps me learn Latin." - Aliece H.

"This program impacts learning in several ways. One in particular is that it is a "free" way of learning, and there are many different ways that a "Mission" could go. Because of this, students are offered a chance to explore the Roman times in more depth than other classrooms may provide." - Sarah S.

Cheryl Cheatham has been teaching Latin for fourteen years, all in Richland School District Two. She started her career at Ridge View High, but moved to Dent after four years. She added mythology to her repertoire when she began teaching at Dent.


Wendell Tate been teaching in Richland School District Two at Dent Middle School for 10 years. During this time he has taught both Latin and Greek Mythology.

Mystery Date- Speed Dating Tech Style PD Session @ Blythewood High

Who says Professional Learning isn't fun? Today at Blythewood High School the teachers shared with other teachers on what technology activities work in their classrooms by Speed Dating. No, not actually dating but teacher presenters were set up in a speed dating style to share for 4 minutes with a group of about 4 teachers before the participants moved to another table and topic.

The a few of the topics covered 

• Classroom management ideas
• A technology tool
• A great lesson that worked well
• A great project that worked well
• A way to manage student work
• A way to manage with a sub in a 1:1 classroom
• A way to easily grade/assess online work
• Classroom assessments 
• and more....

This event was a collaboration between Blythewood and Ridge View High Schools. The Technology and Learning Coaches, Tami Lenker (BH) and Cheryl Hunter (RVHS), as well as the Blythewood media specialists, Amy Whitfield and Crystal Smith, enlisted the help of not only teachers at each school but other school-based Technology and Learning Coaches, District staff, and a former Richland 2 teacher, Lissa Layman presenting via Google+Hangout from Kuwait  to present to the teachers at Blythewood High School. Blythewood High School teachers will be given the opportunity to present to Ridge View teachers later this semester when the event will be replicated at Ridge View High School.

The event was promoted with the video below. How could you not be excited to attend?

Teachers left with a few WOW moments from Mystery Date stations about Challenge Boards, Kahoot!, WeVideo, Today's Meet, and interactive storyboards. 

Exit slips were given to teachers to provide feedback and future needs. One of the questions was "I will use _________ very soon this way.... 

Responses from teachers:

"I will use WeVideo for student created infomercials on topics."

"I will use Kahoot! instead of just lecturing."

"I will use VoiceThread for student reflections on performances."

This event was a great success but beyond the learning, Blythewood and Ridge View High schools are fostering collaboration between both schools and creating a local network of teachers to help them grow as professionals. 

Contact Tami Lenker, Cheryl Hunter, Amy Whitfield, or Crystal Smith to find out how you can try this at your school!

Common Core at your finger tips

I don't know if you are like me but there are times I just can't find what I am looking for... whether it's the handout that was given to me at a meeting, the document that was shared in my drive, or an email I know is still in my inbox.  

With the implementation of Common Core, I need to have the Common Core standards readily available at any time. I found a great app to keep them at my finger tips. The Core app by MasteryConnect, Inc. puts the standards right on your phone in and easy to find or look up format. This FREE app is available on both iOS and Android OS. 

This app is a great reference for parents, students, and educators. 

Download this app today and never be without your Common Core Standards. 

 

White House Film Festival

THE PRESIDENT HAS AN

ASSIGNMENT FOR YOU

Our schools are more high-tech than ever. There are devices in nearly every classroom. You can take an online course on Japanese -- and then video chat with a kid from Japan. So, what does it all mean?

We’re looking for videos that highlight the power of technology in schools.

Your film should address at least one of the following themes:

1. How you currently use technology in your classroom or school.
2. The role technology will play in education in the future.

More information is available at the White House is running a Student Film Festival 

And to add a little more to the pot, WeVideo supports the White House Film Festival. If you use WeVideo to create your video entry you will have a chance to win a Google Chome Pixal laptop or GoPro Here 3+ black edition. More details are available from WeVideo. 

Technology Spotlight - Margaret Roberson, Blythewood High School

Margaret Roberson has been teaching at Blythewood High School for a year after teaching at Lee Central High School in Bishopville South Carolina. Margaret is married and the mother of two children, Hunter and Madeline. She earned her BFA in Art education from the University of South Carolina in 2009. Prior to attending USC, she studied art at Montgomery College in Maryland and the University of Louisville in Kentucky while spending part of her 13 years in the Retail industry as a Operations and Sales Managers. Margaret is the sponsor of the National Art Honor Society at Blythewood High School, and recently won the sponsor to the year award.

Mrs. Roberson's 2D Art students begin using Blogger to create portfolios so when they reach AP Art they will have a collection to help them create a portfolio for submission to the AP Board. Roberson's students learn to photograph their own work, and then they learn to describe, analyze, and interpret this work--as well as other works of art. As students move into the upper level classes, they will use the blogs more and more to interact with art. Roberson says, "As they look for ways to improve their art work and make connections to other artists, they become a part of the art world." A student, Justin says, "Using the blogs allowed me to look and compare ideas and techniques that I might not find in the classroom, as well as share with people beyond the classroom."

Click on the links below to visit the student blogs.

Keiner's Art 

Jameel's Art

PreK - 2nd Grade Digital Starter Kit is HERE!

ATTENTION! ATTENTION! PreK-2nd grade teachers.... were you looking for resources to integrate technology in your class? Here it is! This list is a great place to start looking. 

Hour of Code at Westwood High School

On Monday, December 9, the hallways at Westwood High School were filled with students coding for the Hour of Code. The Hour of Code campaign, part of Computer Science Education Week, is an effort to introduce ten million students to computer science. Several schools in Richland Two participated in the week long event.

Information Technology Instructor, Tracy Wilbur, worked with her team to plan the schoolwide event at Westwood. Students watched a short Hour of Code video to introduce them to the topic and then all students went into the hallways to code. Many of the students used a beginner tutorial from http://csedweek.org/learn to get started with coding. Students enrolled in computer science classes at Westwood circulated throughout the hallways to assist students with coding questions.

Some of the students were unsure about coding but said that it was much more fun than they had imagined. One student stated that coding allows him to be creative and make his own decisions about how a program will work. During the event, teachers talked about their experiences with coding and were excited to see all students so willing to learn a new skill. Students were excouraged to sign up for computer programming classes to become more proficient at coding.

Go to http://goo.gl/1n2Swg to see more photos from Westwood High School. View the WACHFOX news report here: http://goo.gl/Qj23lI.

Technology Spotlight - Mary Allen, Summit Parkway Middle School

Recently, Kahoot! has spread across the district as a great formative assessment tool. Kahoot! is a game-based student response system. Mary Allen at Summit Parkway Middle School started using Kahoot! after it was shared but the school-level Technology and Learning Coach, Sally Wilson. 

Ms. Allen's began using the web site with her students and after posting her quiz, Cartoon Science. The co-founder of Kahoot!, Jamie Brooker emailed her letting her know the quiz was added to the feature quiz list on the site.  The quiz was used to introduce Kahoot to her classes. She wanted something fun, yet science related, to get them interested and excited about this new tool. 

Since the introduction, students have used Kahoot! to create their own quizzes about animals. They have played these quizzes as a whole group during each class period. Students get very competitive and all are actively learning and participating. Ms. Allen's newest assignment with Kahoot! is for students to give a presentation about animal adaptations. At the end of presentation, they must give the class a Kahoot! quiz.  This will ensure that all students are paying attention to the information given by their classmates.

What are students saying about Kahoot!?

Jamal says, "I like Kahoot because it is fun and challenging."
Maryah was asked why she likes using Kahoot and she said, "I like Kahoot because it is competitive and you can ask the person with the high score questions about the subject."
Zion  states, "I think Kahoot makes your reflexes faster."
"It's a fun way to take a quiz and it challenges you," says Ethan.
David says, "I like using Kahoot because it is fun and it tests your skills and checks to see if you know the information."

Every time Ms. Allen introduces new technology resources into the classroom, students get excited.  "It's fun to watch students explore with these tools and apply them to gaining science knowledge.  Kahoot allows students to demonstrate their knowledge of information in a non-threatening, risk free environment.  It's both fun and informational and a great way to informally assess student understanding."

Rice Creek Elementary- Bloggers

These third grade Rice Creek dolphins in Mrs. Gaines class could not be more PROUD about their blog! Mrs. Gaines recently introduced Google Blogger to her class. Each student has their own blog and currently is using it to reflect about their learning experiences.

"My mom gets to read it and I can't wait until she leaves me a comment. I've always wanted to have my own blog and now I do!" ~Ivory-She was full of smiles as she expressed why she thought her blog was awesome! 

"I enjoy blogging because it helps me improve my keyboarding skills. 

I like when my friends read my blog posts!" ~Keon

Blogging can be a powerful tool inside and outside of the classroom:

• Encourages student voice
• Strengthens literacy skills
• Motivates open reflection of learning and interests
• Tracks growth over time (ePortfolio) 
• Excitement for writing 
• Experience writing for an authentic audience 
• Practice for giving proper and effective feedback

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